MasterChef Australia series 1
| Company type | Television series season |
|---|---|
| Industry | Reality television |
| Founded | April 27, 2009 |
| Headquarters | Australia , Australia |
Key people | Sarah Wilson (Presenter); Gary Mehigan, George Calombaris, Matt Preston (Judges) |
| Products | Reality cooking competition television series |
| Website | www |
The inaugural season of the Australian reality television series MasterChef Australia debuted on 27 April 2009 on Network Ten, wrapping up on 19 July 2009 with Julie Goodwin declared the champion. The show was presented by Sarah Wilson.
Finishing as runner-up, Poh Ling Yeow later joined the panel of judges alongside Jean-Christophe Novelli, Sofia Levin, and Andy Allen, who himself was the winner of the fourth season and a judge in the twelfth season.
Contestants
| Contestant | Age | State | Occupation | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Julie Goodwin | 38 | NSW | Office Manager | Winner 19 July |
| Poh Ling Yeow | 35 | SA | Artist | Runner-up 19 July Returned 1 July Eliminated 18 June |
| Chris Badenoch | 41 | VIC | Beer Merchant | Eliminated 16 July |
| Justine Schofield | 23 | NSW | Sales Executive | Eliminated 15 July Returned 1 July Eliminated 25 June |
| Julia Jenkins | 23 | VIC | Marketing Specialist | Eliminated 14 July |
| Lucas Parsons | 39 | NSW | Coffee Shop Owner | Eliminated 13 July |
| Andre Ursini | 28 | SA | Project Manager | Eliminated 9 July |
Later appearances
- Julie Goodwin made multiple returns as a guest judge and masterclass instructor across several seasons, including Series 2, Series 4, Series 6, Series 10, Series 14, and Series 15.
- As a recurring mentor and judge, Poh Ling Yeow featured in Series 7, Series 10, Series 11, Series 12, Series 13, Series 15, and is scheduled to return as a judge in Series 16.
- Andre Ursini provided masterclasses during Series 3 and appeared as a guest in later editions such as Series 10 and Series 16; he also competed again in Series 17.
- Contestants like Justine Schofield and Chris Badenoch engaged in various roles including guest judging or competing in All-Star versions.
Judges
Special guests
- Manu Feildel – Celebrity Chef Challenge episode 1
- Martin Boetz – Celebrity Chef Challenge episode 2
- Pete Evans – Celebrity Chef Challenge episode 3
- Frank Shek – Masterclass episode 3
- Alex Herbert – Celebrity Chef Challenge episode 4
- John Torode – Guest judge for Invention Test episode 4
- Guy Grossi – Celebrity Chef Challenge episode 5
- Ben O'Donoghue – Celebrity Chef Challenge episode 6
- Donovan Cooke/Tam Kin Pak – Celebrity Chef Challenge episode 8
- Emmanuel Stroobant – Celebrity Chef Challenge episode 9
- Adrian Richardson – Celebrity Chef Challenge episode 10
- Adriano Zumbo – Elimination Challenge episode 7
- Armando Percuoco – Guest judge for Formal Dinner Challenge
- Margaret Fulton – Guest judge for Formal Dinner Challenge
- Jacques Reymond – Guest judge for Formal Dinner Challenge
- Cheong Liew – Guest judge for Formal Dinner Challenge
- Luke Mangan – Guest judge for Finals Week Elimination Challenge episode 1
- Matt Moran – Celebrity Chef Challenge episode 7 and guest judge for Finals Week Elimination Challenge episode 2
- Bill Granger – Guest judge for Finals Week Elimination Challenge episode 3
- Donna Hay – Guest judge for Finals Week Elimination Challenge episode 4
- Peter Kuruvita – Guest judge for Fresh Seafood Team Challenge
- Curtis Stone – Guest judge for Seafood Team Challenge and Grand Finale
Several of these guest chefs returned during the winner announcement segment; notably, Moran also presented a dish during the finale’s Pressure Test.
Elimination Chart
| No. | Week | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | Finals Week | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mystery Box Challenge Winner | None | None | Chris | Poh | Tom | Julie | Chris | Poh | None | Andre | Poh | Julia | None | ||||||||||||||
| Invention Test Winner | None | Sam | Brent | Julia | Chris | Justine | Lucas Justine |
Justine | None | Andre | Justine Julie |
Chris | Poh | Poh | Chris | Poh | Julie | ||||||||||
| 1 | Julie | Top 20 | IN | Team Win | Btm 3 | Team Win | IN | Geni | IN | Team Win | Btm 3 | Team Win | Btm 4 | Team Win | IN | Win | Btm 2 | Btm 2 | 2. | I.T. Winner | 2. | Btm 3 | Btm 3 | Btm 3 | Top 2 | Btm 2 | WINNER |
In the opening week, no contestant was eliminated; judges narrowed the field from fifty to twenty finalists.
During Week 2, no one was sent home following the Invention Test; instead, the lowest two chefs were assigned dishwashing duties.
Julia secured victory in the Celebrity Chef Challenge during Week 4, granting her direct entry to Finals Week.
After the pressure test in Week 5, the judges refrained from eliminating anyone as Sam and Trevor’s performances were closely matched.
Week 5 also featured a tied vote that resulted in Team Captain Kate choosing to eliminate herself.
In Week 7, Justine and Lucas jointly won the Invention Test; Lucas then triumphed in the Celebrity Chef Challenge, earning a spot in the finals.
Rather than a team challenge, Week 8 presented a wedding-themed contest where the top four chefs progressed while the bottom two faced elimination via taste test.
The Hong Kong Dim Sum Challenge in Week 9 saw Sam emerge victorious and take Justine along for a reward; Julie claimed the win in the High Tea/Rainbow Fish challenge.
Week 10’s Dream Restaurant Challenge awarded Chris with a reward; additionally, former contestants returned for a second opportunity.
In Week 11, Justine and Julie shared victory in the Invention Test; Julie won a coin toss that allowed her to compete against a Celebrity Chef.
Poh and Julie faced off over three separate tests, with their cumulative scores deciding the ultimate winner.
Episodes and ratings
- Colour legend:
- – Peak viewership during the season
- – Lowest audience figures for the season
| Episode#/Week-Ep# | Broadcast date | Episode Title / Key Event | Viewership (Total) | Ranking (Night) | Ranking (Week) (Sunday/Overall Mon-Fri) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | |||||
| 1/01-1 | Monday, 27 April 2009 | Series Launch: Auditions Part 1 – Judges Gary Mehigan, George Calombaris, and Matt Preston commence evaluating Australia's finest amateur cooks in Sydney and Adelaide, securing 18 spots in the Top 50. | 1,428,000 | 7th | 14th |
| 2/01-2 | Tuesday, 28 April 2009 | Auditions Part 2 – The panel continues in Brisbane and Perth, selecting an additional 18 competitors for the Top 50. | 1,056,000 | 17th | 52nd |
| 3/01-3 | Wednesday, 29 April 2009 | Auditions Part 3 – Melbourne finalizes the Top 50 with the last 14 contestants; participants then travel to Sydney for challenges narrowing down to Top 20. | 994,000 | 15th | 57th |
| 4/01-4 | Thursday, 30 April 2009 | Top 50 Part 1 – Contestants with weaker knife skills face elimination after timed cooking tests; five are dismissed, reducing the group to 44. | 1,025,000 | 14th | 42nd |
| 5/01-5 | Friday, 1 May 2009 | Top 50 Part 2 – Eleven participants prepare seafood dishes at Sydney fish markets; three are eliminated. Judges decide against further cuts despite some errors. | 954,000 | 10th | 64th |
| Week 2 | |||||
| 6/02-1 | Sunday, 3 May 2009 | Top 20 Announcement | 1,098,000 | 9th | 39th |
| 7/02-2 | Monday, 4 May 2009 | Top 20 Cooking Challenge | 1,237,000 | 8th | (1,154,000)28th |
| 8/02-3 | Tuesday, 5 May 2009 | 'Celebrity Chef Challenge Part One' – Manu Feildel triumphs over Sam. | '1,159,000 | '9th | |
| '9/02-4 | Wednesday,6 May2009 | 'Sushi Restaurant Team Challenge' – Red Team prevails under captains Sandra and Sam. | '1,241,000 | '5th | |
| '10/02-5 | Thursday,7 May2009 | 'Team Elimination' – Blue Team votes out Melissa following poor performance despite internal disagreements. | '982,000 | '14th | |
| '11/02-6 | Friday,8 May2009 | 'Masterclass' – Judges conduct lamb rack and dessert cooking lessons. | '1,016,000 | '7th | |
| Week3 | |||||
| '12/03-1 | Sunday10 May2009 | 'Mystery Box & Invention Test' – Chris secures victories with Italian-inspired dishes; Nic exits the contest. | '1,472,000 | '3rd | '6th |
| '13/03-2 | Monday11 May2009 | 'Pressure Test Elimination' – Linda is eliminated following an apple tart challenge. | '1,331,000 | '4th | |
| '14/03-3 | Tuesday12 May2009 | 'Celebrity Chef Challenge Part Two' – Martin Boetz defeats Brent with his signature Longrain dish. | '1,252,000 | '8th | |
| '15/03-4 | Wednesday13 May2009 | 'Seafood Banquet Team Challenge' – Red Team wins a banquet judged by Curtis Stone. | '1,191,000 | '10th | |
| '16/03-5 | Thursday14 May2009 | 'Team Elimination' – Blue Team removes Brent due to inadequate leadership. | '1,007,000 | '14th | |
| '17/03-6 | Friday15 May2009 | 'Masterclass' – Judges teach rabbit and dessert preparations. | '1,030,000 | '8th | |
| Week4 | |||||
| '18/04-1 | Sunday17 May2009 | 'Mystery Box & Invention Test' – Poh wins with a chocolate-based dish; Julia prevails in a Chinese mushroom challenge. | '1,456,000 | '3rd | |
| '19/04-2 | Monday18 May2009 | 'Pressure Test Elimination' – Michelle is eliminated after a stuffed squid challenge. | '1,388,000 | '4th | |
| '20/04-3 | Tuesday19 May2009 | 'Celebrity Chef Challenge Part Three' – Julia beats Peter Evans with tea-smoked duck breast. | '1,291,000 | '7th | |
| '21/04-4 | Wednesday20 May2009 | 'Food Critics Team Challenge' – Blue Team wins cooking for food critics. | '1,291,000 | '7th | |
'22/04-5
| Thursday21 May2009 |'Team Elimination' – Josh is eliminated due to subpar performance. |'1,146,000' |'6th' | |||||
| Week5 | |||||
|
Masterclass concentrating on lemon-flavored dishes including lobster linguine and roast chicken preparations. |
Allegations of vote riggingAfter Julie Goodwin secured victory in the first season finale of MasterChef, a number of viewers raised accusations of voting manipulation. The conclusion of the series triggered widespread discussion on talkback radio and became a trending subject on Twitter, with many expressing feelings of dissatisfaction and being "cheated." Comparable concerns were voiced during various contestant eliminations throughout the competition. Judge Matt Preston refuted any claims of rigging or favoritism, emphasizing that Julie truly deserved to win based on her culinary performance that evening. Goodwin also defended the program's credibility, noting that any tampering would harm the judges' professional standing. |
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